Love Your Mom Life

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Show Notes

Have you ever come across the hashtag #momlife on Instagram?

Maybe you saw it in the caption below a picture of a baby girl cuddling up to her mom, or a photo of a smiling family . . . or a video of a toddler running naked through the house as he unravels a roll of toilet paper.

Mom life, am I right?

When you’re a mom, you feel all the feelings: total joy, pride and love, right alongside exhaustion, worry and defeat.

The challenges of being a mom can wear you down. But don’t worry! We’re here to build you up! Today’s show is for anyone who is a mom, knows a mom, or wants to be a mom. Get ready to be encouraged—and to learn how we can all encourage each other better.

Resources

Moms Make the World Go ’Round

When I became a mom for the first time, something happened. I suddenly had the urge to go up to all the other moms in my life—okay, even random moms walking around Target—and say, “You’re amazing! I didn’t see it before, but now I totally get it. You’re so awesome!”

And it’s true, right? Moms are the real bomb dot com. The fact that I just used that phrase totally gives me away as a mom. I don’t know what the cool kids are saying these days!

But I do know this: I meet moms all across the country who are working hard, making sacrifices, and doing their absolute best to raise good kids who become great adults. And in today’s show, I talk to a few moms who are doing just that.

How One Mom Stopped Spending Money and Became Debt-Free

Here on the set of TheRachel Cruze Show, you can count on one thing: We’re always laughing. We honestly have such a great time together.

It’s really similar to the atmosphere I saw growing up—and continue to see today—around The Dave Ramsey Show. (For any new people out there, Dave is my dad!) I’d see people cracking up and celebrating all the time. But I also saw lots of tears; happy tears whenever someone did their debt-free scream.

We at Ramsey Solutions know that becoming debt-free is no small task, so we love to celebrate people who work hard and make it happen! And almost every day, we have the opportunity to do just that because of The Dave Ramsey Show.

People who have worked to become debt-free travel to our office from all over the country to share their stories and celebrate reaching their goal. Surrounded by friends, family, and Ramsey Solutions team members, they shout, “WE’RE DEBT-FREE!” The crowd cheers, and happy tears are often shed. (I’ve watched these conversations and debt-free screams for years, and I still cry every single time.)

As you guys know, I’m all about helping you learn to love your life—especially your mom life! And a big part of that is taking control of your money instead of letting it control you.

• The lessons she learned about herself in the process of becoming debt-free.

Jennifer’s story is packed with wisdom and advice. I learned so much from her, and I know you will too!

Pay Off Your Debt Fast With the Debt Snowball Method

Want to pay off debt like Jennifer did? The debt snowball method is a simple and proven way to make it happen. In fact, researchers call this approach the most effective and motivating way to pay off debt!(1) Here’s how it works:

1. List your debts from smallest to largest (except your mortgage) regardless of the interest rate.

2. Throw any extra money you have at the smallest debt while continuing to make minimum payments on all other debts.

3. As soon you pay off the first debt, roll the money from that payment into the next smallest debt. Now you’re really gaining momentum!

4. Keep at it until you’re debt-free!

The debt snowball gives you intense focus and keeps you motivated as you work toward your goal. And guess what? The average family using this plan reaches their goal in just 18 to 24 months. You can do it!

And when you send that last payment, give me a shout on Facebook. I want to hear all about your journey to becoming debt-free!

Let’s Have a Mom-to-Mom Moment

As a mom, when it comes to taking care of my kids, there’s nothing I wouldn’t do. If an idea crosses my mind and I think it might help my little ones, I’ll give it a try. I know a lot of you would probably say the same!

The key here, though, is if it crosses my mind. One thing no mom wants to think about—including me!—is the possibility of not being around to care for her kids.

Not a fun topic, I know—but such a necessary one!

Preparing for the possibility of your death isn’t morbid. It’s loving. You can make sure your family will be taken care of long after you’re gone by getting term life insurance.

The basics of life insurance for moms:

I often talk with women who just aren’t sure how or where to get started. In terms of the amount of term life insurance you need, here’s what to aim for:

• Working moms need 10 to 12 times their annual income.

• Stay-at-home moms need however much money it would take to keep the home operating normally.

My personal life insurance recommendation:

If you’re looking for someone to walk you through the life insurance process from start to finish, check out Zander Insurance. Winston and I love Zander, and I’m confident you will too!

Zander will work with you to find the best option for your family and customize the pricing to your specific needs. You can get a quote today by going to zander.com.

We’ve Got a Celebrity Chef in the Kitchen!

Exciting news, people! Sharon Ramsey, my mom and the first celebrity chef I ever knew, joins me in the kitchen for today’s episode.

We’re whipping up one of her classic recipes with a twist. We’re taking her beef fajitas from the slow cooker to the instant pot. Because . . . #momlife.

I love pretty much everything my mom makes, but this one’s my favorite. She’s a great cook and super sweet, so she agreed to let me share the recipe with you guys!

How Some of My Favorite Moms Do Mom Life

Do you ever find yourself caught in a comparison trap with other moms?

It’s so easy to watch other moms at the park or scroll through Instagram and think, I’ll never measure up. I just don’t have what it takes to be THAT kind of mom.

In today’s show, we bust the mom myth that there’s a perfect way of doing things. Nope. A good mom loves her children and gives them her personal best. After all, she’s the one who was chosen to raise those specific kids.

To get perspective on this truth, I gather with a few of my friends who are fellow moms to talk about what makes us unique as parents—and why those differences are totally okay. You’ll hear from:

• Mary Ellen, a stay-at-home mom

• Cameron, a part-time working mom

• Christy, a full-time working mom

Is mom-life balance a real thing?

We also chat about envy, guilt and fear—three big obstacles that stand in the way of a healthy mom life.

Plus, we wonder if a mom really can “have it all.” That’s the big mom-life debate, right? We’re all working to reach some ideal of motherhood that, let’s be honest, doesn’t exist.

Thankfully, my good friend Christy Wright offers some serious wisdom regarding this topic in her article The Truth About Work-Life Balance. Click that link to learn what our culture gets wrong about the “having it all” mentality, plus five practical ways you can get pretty darn close.

4 things every mom should do:

Whether you’re a stay-at-home mom or a working mom, here are four things every mom needs to do:

1. Find a group of girlfriends. Friends can encourage you when you’re down, celebrate with you when you win, and offer perspective (“What a relief! My kid’s not the only one who does that!”). And don’t worry about finding moms who are just like you. Instead, look for moms who are fun to be around and share your values.

2. Keep a gratitude journal. Mom life is the very definition of living like you’re on a roller coaster. The highs can be so high, but the lows can be so, so low. In your gratitude journal, make note of the good moments. When you’re struggling to tap into the warm-and-fuzzy feelings, your gratitude journal can serve as a helpful reminder.

3. Create a list of things that fuel you. Spend some time thinking about activities that energize you, as well as activities that drain you. Write those things down and prioritize your life accordingly. Maybe you’ll spend a little less time scrolling through Instagram or watching Netflix, and a little more time on your hobbies or with people you love.

4. Make sure you have term life insurance. I know! We talked about this already! But I’m saying it again because it’s that important. A loving mom takes care of her children even after she’s gone—and this is the best way you can do that! You can reach out to Zander Insurance for a quote today.

She Works Hard Saving Money

I’m so proud of you guys! Each week we read tons of stories shared by all of you on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram with the hashtag #sheworkshardsavingmoney. And I have to say, they just keep getting better and better!

Here are a couple of my favorites from today’s show:

“Saving for a trip to London and Paris in May.” — Megan

“Right after Christmas we bought a 2017 Subaru Outback for cash!” — Michelle

These ladies are proof that taking control of your money can be so much fun!

Zander Insurance pays the producer of this show, The Lampo Group, LLC, advertising fees for mentioning their services in our programing. Advertising fees are not based upon particular insurance products sales or business transacted between any consumer and Zander Insurance.